Massage apparatus.



R. H. GAY.

MASSAGE APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIYQN FILED AUG. 7, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

RICHARD H. GAY, OF CONESVILLE, IOWA.

MASSAGE APPARATUS.

y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5', 1910.

Application f1ed August 7, 1909. Serial No. 511,757.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, RICHARD I-I. GAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Conesville, in the county of Muscatinegand State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Massage Apparatus, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

l This invention relates to an improvement m massage apparatus and more particularly to apparatus of this character designed to be used in connection with an electric current.

While the device which forms the subject matter of the present application may be used on various parts of the body, it is adapted particularly for use in massaging the scalp to stimulate the circulation of the blood therein so as to produce a healthy condition and assist the growth of the hair.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a device of this charaeter provided with electrodes which are fashioned to engage a portion of the body and which areY so arranged that the current of electricity which is utilized will traverse only that portion of the body which is directly under treatment.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character provided with portions of an improved con-v struction which are adapted to engage the scalp or skin and to stimulate the same to the greatest possible extentv without doing injury thereto.

A further object of the invention is the provision in an electrical massagerapparatus which is provided with electrodes adapted to engage a portion ofthe body, means for supplying moisture to the body adjacent the electrodes tov increase the etliciency of the electricity.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description herein when read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein a convenient embodiment of the invention is shown and wherein like characters of reference referl to similar parts in the several views.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the improved massage implement and battery, the battery being shown in longitudinal section,'Fig. 2 is ay cross section of the massage implement, Fig. 3 1s an' enlarged sectional view illustrating the construction employed to apply a moistening liquid to the portion of the body which is to be treated, Fig. 4 is a side elevation illustrating a modified form of massage implement, Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A designates the body of the massage implement, which is conveniently constructed of wood or other suitable insulating material. Seated within the body A with the lower edges thereof projecting slightly below the bottom surface of said body are a pair of metallic strips which eX- tend substantially the full length of the body portion of the device and are adapted to constitute supports for the electrodes C, C. In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. l, the electrodes C, C are each in the form of an elongated coil of iieXible metallic wire. The outermost coils of the electrodes C, C are soldered or otherwise rigidly miited to the ends of the projecting portions of the strips B, B which are seated in the body portion of the device, while the intermediate coils pass loosely through apertures formed in the projecting portion of the strips B, B. By providing electrodes of this construction, a device is obtained, the electrodes of which are exceedingly flexible and will serve to act very effectively upon the scalp or other portion of the body to be treated without injuring the same. The strips B, B in the body portion A are positioned rather close together so that a comparatively small portion of the scalp or other' port-ion of the body to be treated is bridged by the electrod'es C, C, and as in the use of the device the strips B, B are adapted to be connected to the poles of a battery or other source of electricity, it will be noted that the only portion of the scalp which is traversed by the current of electricity is the small area. which is bridged by the electrode, so that the full strength of the current is utilized.

.As a convenient way of coupling the plates B, B with a battery or other source of electricity, said plates have formed in the ends thereof holes or recesses l), into which are adapted to be detachably fitted a pair of pins or electrodes d, d, which are mounted in a block D of wood or other insulated material and from whichy wires extend to 'the poles of abattery, which may be of any desired. construction. As the plates B,B are rather thin, I prefer to make theY same of folded sheet metal, as illustrated, in order to facilitate the boring of the holes or re- I the teeth therewit-h when the device is used.

cesses b, Y) in the ends thereof. It is obvious, however, that such plates may be made solid if desired.

Electrical devices of this character are much more efficient if the portion of the skin or scalp which is engaged by the electrodes is moistened and hence I have provided means whereby the operator may at any time meisten the portion of the scalp or skin which is being treated, such means comprising a tube E which passes through the body portion A of the device, intermediate the strips B, B seated therein, to the upper end of which is attached a bulb c and the lower end of which is closed by a capped nut e', which nut also serves to secure the tube E in the body portion of the device. The lower end of t-he tube E is provided just above the nut e with a discharge opening or a plurality of discharge openings e2 through which the water or other fluid is adapted to be forced. Said discharge opening or discharge openings are preferably provided in one side of the tube only and the liquid which passes therethrough is preferably directed onto one of the electrodes C, C, a sheet metal washer es being utilized for this purpose, which washer surrounds the lower end of the tube E and is clamped between the nut e and the bottom surface of the body portion A of the device, and is provided with an elongated downwardly turned flange which extends alongside of one of the electrodes C, C. This construction is utilized to prevent any possibility of the liquid electrically connecting the upper portions of the electrodes C, C and thereby preventing the passage of the current through the scalp.

In the use of the device as thus described, the bulb c is compressed to force out the air therein and the lower end of the tube E is submerged in water or other liquid and the bulb released to cause the same to lill with liquid. Thereafter during the use of the device, the user may at any time by a slight pressure on the bulb discharge a portion of the liquid contents thereof onto the portion of the scalp or skin which is b'eing treated.

In Fig. l of the drawing a modified form of massage implement is illustrated, which comprises an insulated body portion in the bottom of which are seated folded metallic strips similar in construction to the strips b, Z) heretofore described with reference to Fig. 1. Seated between the side walls of each of the folded metallic strips and soldered or otherwise permanently secured therein are a plurality of flexible teeth, the lower ends of which are provided with rounded enlargements to prevent injury to the scalp or skin. These teeth differ in length so that the lower edges thereof present curved surfaces which conform to the curvature of the scalp and insure a perfect contact of all of Obviously the-device illustrated in Figs. -t and 5 of the drawing may be provided with the moistening device illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and t.

While a convenient embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that many changes may be made to the form and construction therein shown without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a body portion of insulated material, a pair of plates embedded in said body portion and having projecting from the edges thereof a plurality of flexible engaging members of conducting material, the outer edges of which are adapted for engagement with the scalp of the user, said plates being provided with inwardly eX- tending sockets in the ends thereof, a block of insulated material, and a pair of terminal pins carried by said block and adapted to detachably engage the sockets in the ends of said plates.

2. In a device of the character described comprising a body portion of insulated material, a pair of separated electrodes secured to said body portion, and a liquid container having a discharge opening positioned between said electrodes.

3. In a device of the character described, a body portion of insulated material, a pair of separated electrodes secured to the body portion, a liquid container carried by the body portion and provided with a discharge opening positioned between said electrodes, and means for controlling the flow of liquid from said container.

a. In a device of the character described, a body portion of insulated material, a pair of separated electrodes secured to said body portion, a liquid container having an outlet opening positioned between said electrodes, means for directing the flow of liquid from said outlet opening onto one of said electrodes, and means for controlling the flow of liquid from said container.

In a device of the character described, a body portion of insulated material, a pair of separated electrodes secured to said body portion, a tube extending through the body portion and provided at its lower end with an outlet opening positioned between the electrodes, and a bulb secured to the upper end of said tube.

6. In a device of the character described, a body portion of insulated material, a pair of separated electrodes secured to said body portion, a tube extending through said body portion and having its lower end positioned between said electrodes, the lower end of said tube being provided With a lateral discharge opening in proximity to one of said electrodes, and a bulb secured to the upper end of said tube.

In a device of the character described, a body portion of insulated material having a pair of metal strips embedded therein and projecting beyond the surface thereof, the projecting portions of said plate being provided Wth a plurality of openings therein, and a pair of body engaging members comprising Wire 'coils threaded openings in the projecting portions of said plate, the ends of said coils being rigidly connected to said plate. 1.5

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD H. GAY.

through the Witnesses G. A. MARVIN, THos. R. HEATH. 

